Device for cleaning spark-plugs



A. V. PELLET.

DEVICE FOR CLEANING SPARK PLUGS APPLICATION FILED MAR. 18 1920.

1 ,399,225 Patented Dec. 6, 1921..

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFF-ICE.

AUGUSTE 'V'. PELLET, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A SSIGNOR TO PELLET MAGNETO CO., OF

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

DEVICE FOR CLEANING SPARK-PLUGS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 6, 1921.

Application filed March 18, 1920. Serial No. 366,880.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AUGUSTE V. PELLET, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Devices for Cleaning Spark-Plugs, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

.of a device for cleaning spark plugs.

Hy invention contemplates the provision The object of the invention is to provide a device of this character that is of simple and rugged construction, operated by air under pressure, and capable of being used for the purpose of cleaning spark plugs of all of the standard makes and sizes.

One embodiment of the spark plug cleaner of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a side elevational View of the spark plug cleaner, this view illustrating a spark plug is position to be cleaned;

Fig. 2 is an axial sectional view of the same;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the same;

Fig. at is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 4& of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view similar to Fig. 2, illustrating a different type of spark plug in position to be cleaned.

Similar characters of reference refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

In the drawings I have illustrated a receptacle or container comprising cylinder A and upper and lower end closures designated B and C respectively. These last mentioned parts are secured to cylinder A in any suitable manner. Means which may be in'the form of a bracket a, welded, riveted or otherwise secured to cylinder A, is provided so that the cleaner may be mounted upon a wall or other suitable support.

It will be noted that the metal of the receptacle bottom B is conformed to provide the purpose of which will presently appear. Pressed tightly into the lower end of the said blast nozzle D is the air nozzle E, the shoulder of which is spaced a substantial distance from the shoulder of the blast nozzle D to provide an annular space F, as shown. Pressed into the lower end of the air nozzle E is a disk G provided with an integral nipple G, arranged to cooperate with a suitable coupling H, with which a suitable conduit I, leading to any suitable source of air under pressure, is provided. Conduit I has been illustrated as provided with a valve 2', for controlling the supply of air under pressure to nozzle E. Nozzle E is conveniently provided with an inturned annular flange e, which overlies the disk Gr, as shown.

It will be understood that while I have illustrated the nozzle elements as being formed of drawn metal, and being retained properly assembled by being pressed into position, these parts may be constructed of any suitable material and may be held in their assembled operative positions in any convenient manner.

Formed in the container top B and being located directly above the common axis of nozzles D and E is an aperture J, which is large enough to accommodate the lower end of the largest size spark plug with which the cleaner is intended to be used.

I prefer that the aperture J shall have a diameter of of an inch or one inch, in order that the conventional 5 inch plug P may be placed therein as shown. :A second aperture K is also formed in receptacle top B, said aperture K being intended to permit the escape of air from the receptacle, but being provided with a screen L, to prevent the escape of any substantial quantity of abrasive material. In the embodiment of the invention here shown, the center of aperture K is disposed 120 degrees from the center of aperture J. The purpose of this arrangement will presently appear.

Clhe receptacle top B is provided with a central aperture through which extends a pivot pin M, which also extends freely through a central aperture in a receptacle top plate N, the periphery of which is preferably milled to facilitate adjustment thereof. A spring 0, acting between the receptacle top B, and a washer, which is cottered upon pin M, holds the rotatable other.

.for use with the threestandard types of spark plug now in general use, namely, the

I so-called 5 inch plug, the so-called inch plug provided with tapered pipe threads, and the so-called metric plug. Apertures' X and Y are conveniently unthreaded, while aperture Z is preferablyprovided with pipe threads to coooperate with ithe threaded portion of the conventional 4,; inch plug.

The receptacle is provided with a quantity of granular abrasive material indicated at S, the same conveniently consisting of sand. In cleaning a g inch plug, the rotatable top plate N is turned to cause aperture X to register with aperture J. It will be noted that when a ertures X and J are in registr' apertures and K also register witheac The spark plug P is now passed freel through the registering apertures X and and the spark plug shoulder is held firmly in engagement with the top plate N. Air is now admitted to air nozzle E. The blast of air from nozzle E causes'sand to be drawn into annular space F, and this sand, together with the air, is thrown upwardly against the plug, to accomplish cleaning or: the same. Air escapes from the receptacle through screened aperture K, but the abrasive material, after impinging upon the plug drops back into the lower portion of therece' tacle and is used again.

1 n cleaning a so-ca led metric plug, the aperture Y is moved into registry with aperture J, and the plug is held in position and cleaned by the sand blast in the manner hereinbefore described. In cleaning a socalled inch plug, the aperture Z of the rotatable top plate is moved into registry with the aperture J and thespark plug indicated at 'P in Fig. 5 is threadedinto the-aperture Z. The plug is cleaned by the air blast, as before described. This last mentioned type of plug is ordinarily not provided with a shoulder, or .at any rate is not provided with a square shoulder, and for that reason it is, desirable to thread the plug into position rather than merely to hold the same in position, as is the case when cleaning plugs of other sizes. 1

Having thus described-one embodiment of my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the i United States is:

1. A spark plug cleaner comprisin are-.

ceptacle, a granular abrasive materia within said receptacle, a blast nozzle in said receptacle, means for introducing air under pressure into said nozzle, to cause a blast of air and abrasive material to be discharged therefrom, said receptacle having an opening disposed in line with the axis of said nozzle, and a movable plate carried by said receptacle, said plate provided with openings of a plurality-of sizes adapted to be brought into registry with the aforesaid opening, substantially as described.

2. A spark plug cleaner comprising a receptacle, containing abrasive material having an openin inthe top thereof adapted to receive a spar plug to be cleaned, a sand blast nozzle disposed in the lower portion of the receptacle and having a sand inlet aperture therein at a point below the normal I level of abrasive material, together with an air blast nozzle located in the sand blast nozzle and disposed substantially co-axial therewith, the discharge orifice of the air nozzle being above the said inlet aperture of the sand blast nozzle.

. 3. A sparkplug cleaner comprising a receptacle for granular abrasive material havnozzle discharging into the said receptacle ing an aperture therein to'receive and to be closed bya spark plug to be cleaned, a

upon said receptacle and having ,a plurality" of different sized openings to receive various sized plugs, said platebeing disposed opposite said aperture so that the openings there- 1 in may be caused to registerwithsaid aperture.

4. A spark plug cleaner comprising a receptacle for abrasivematerial having an aperture therein to receive and. to be closed,

by the electrode, -end'zof a spark .plug to be cleaned, a blast nozzle discharging into said receptacle opposit said aperture, .a screened air vent ad ac.e aid aperture'for air escaping fromfsai plate carried by id receptacle, said plate having openings";,of a. :plurality of sizes eceptacle, and a movable adapted to be.-'brought{ -1nto registry with said aperture, the ;.openin'gs in said plate being spaced the same distance as the aperture and airvent insaid 'receptacle, so that said air vent registers. with one of the other open-"- ings in said" platewhen one opening is moved'pver the-aperture in said receptacle. In WltIlQSS whereof, lhereunto subscribe my name this 9th day of March, 1920.

' p AUGUSTE v. PELLET.

mama

EDNA S. GUSTAFSON,

I ANDREW WINTERGORN. 

